After three days exploring the Taurus-Littrow valley, Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan became the last person to step off the Moon, leaving behind a plaque reading 'may the spirit of peace in which we came be reflected in the lives of all mankind.' No human has returned to the lunar surface since, making this fifty-plus year gap the longest in the Space Age's exploration record.
Cernan and geologist Harrison 'Jack' Schmitt, the only trained scientist to walk on the Moon, spent over 22 hours outside their lunar module across three moonwalks, collecting 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, including the famous orange volcanic glass that hinted at the Moon's fiery past. Before climbing the ladder for the last time, Cernan scratched his daughter Tracy's initials into the lunar dust, knowing the windless surface would preserve them indefinitely.
His final words on the surface, spoken just before ascending, were deliberately chosen for posterity: 'As I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come—but we believe not too long into the future—I'd like to just say what I believe history will record: that America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.'
The 'not too long' proved wildly optimistic. Budget cuts had already killed Apollo 18, 19, and 20 before this final mission flew, and no government has since funded a crewed lunar landing, though NASA's Artemis program now aims to return astronauts to the Moon in the coming years.
Key people: Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt